AURORA | The newly created Aurora Downtown Development Authority will have its first meeting Friday to establish the new governmental organization and its mission to help revitalize Colfax Avenue.
The development authority is a special district that will be overseen by an 11-member board with the ability to levy taxes with the goal of revitalizing the area. Voters approved the Colfax development authority last November after years of conversation about how to renew the East Colfax area.
The first meeting will be at 11 a.m. Friday at the People’s Building, 9995 East Colfax Ave, and will start with swearing in the new board.
Also on Friday’s agenda is a board orientation, establishing the board’s operations, rules and schedule, and a discussion of the master plan for the East Colfax area.
In June, city council appointed Amanda Blaurock, Priscilla Montoya, Alemayehu Eshete, Katie Goldman, Matthew Horne, Cynthia Moreno-Romero, Thoa Nguyen, Natasha Sztevanovity and Johnny Watson to the board. Councilmember Alli Jackson will also serve on the board.
One board seat, to be represented by a member of the Community Development Corporation, a nonprofit helping revitalize the area, is currently vacant.
The new board’s first major responsibility will be to refine and adopt the Colfax Community Vision and Action Plan as the authority’s legally required plan of development, with final approval by city council, city officials said earlier this year. The draft plan was shaped by extensive community engagement with more than 870 attendees at 24 public events and input collected from more than 100 residents, business owners, property owners and organizations.
City officials say the authority and its board will work in tandem with the Community Development Corporation to pursue additional funding streams and support a broader set of initiatives in and around the corridor. Together, these entities are intended to help improve public spaces, support small businesses and foster economic growth while preserving neighborhood character.